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Frankenstein

So, over fifteen years ago, my dad started volunteering at the Bakken Museum because he thought they should do more eon the history of the house. They said he was certainly welcome to look into it, but hey, they needed someone to run their Frankenstein exhibit and would he do that? So thus began his fascination with Frankenstein.

So I had really wanted to take him to Frankenstein: Playing with Fire that opened at the Guthrie last night. It's a remount of the production they premiered in 1988. I can only remember seeing on Guthrie show with my dad, but I replay thought he would like this one.

And of course, he died before he could see it.

So Patrick and I went last night for the opening, while Beatrix was at a birthday party.

Some thoughts (certainly NOT a review):

I remember the 1988 production being more sensational. But that may have been my mindset at the time, not the actual production. I was very young then. But this production felt far more intellectual.

We were literally surrounded by couples, not extraordinarily younger than we are, who had absolutely no cultural literacy with the story of Frankenstein. They were shocked at some of the story elements. I am not sure if going in with those kinds of "spoiler alerts" would make it richer or less so.

The story of Frankenstein gives me a lot of insight about my dad's life, and why he fell so in love with that role at the Bakken. Enough said.

I'm glad we went. I enjoyed the production, and I really wish my dad could have seen it.

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